how so, because he has been a lobbyist for big agri businesses? Compare the two a little more Beth.

Kemp–> state senator who has written state budgets. ranking member of the ag committee. Secured funding for ag research, bio refineries and has a very detailed ag plan. and has taken a lead on many ag issues by actually doing something.

I think that it is great that Black is taking certain groups for granted, he thinks this is his base, this should be a slap in the face for the Farm Bureau people. He is just writing them off, because he assumes that he has all of their votes. Hope he keeps making these mistakes.

I am tired of watching this rhetoric. Let’s have an open debate about who Brian Kemp is, since all we hear on this site is about how Gary Black is a big business lobbyist.

Yes, Brian Kemp is a State Senator. But he he makes his living buying and turning woodlands and farm land into subdivisions. He is a developer, and there is nothing wrong with that unless you deny that is who you are. From everything I read on here and Kemps website he denys that is who he is.
I have a problem with that!

Furthermore, since the legislature has convenued he has introduced a bill that would CREATE A NEW TAX on Horse Feed and MANDATE counties to use Biofuels, a bill that ACCG strongly oposses. And his campaign calls Gary Black the DEMOCRAT.

I don’t think anyone, including Gary Black, will doubt he is a lobbyist. But just how much money has Kemp taken from lobbyist since he has been a Senator. The more interesting question is how many lobbyist have contributed to his Ag Commissioner Race? Just food for thought.

Bull Moose you are using your ability to post on the front page to declare to the PeachPundit family how naïve and uninformed you truly are about the dynamics of the agricultural community.

First, I don’t know why Gary wasn’t at the Farm Bureau event. It could have been for any number of reasons: scheduling conflict, only legislators and local FB leaders get invites (I don’t know this for sure, but I know that I am an active farm bureau member and I didn’t get an invite), or a calculated political maneuver. Whatever the reason, I don’t believe Gary lost a lot for not being there. Unlike any other Republican candidate, he has actually worked for Farm Bureau and prominent member(s) of our Board of Directors have actually endorsed his candidacy.

Second, a better question for the front page would have been why Brian Kemp was not at the Young Farmers Convention in Athens last weekend? In his on backyard for two days, Kemp didn’t even show his face to this very important demographic. Unlike the Board of Directors of the Farm Bureau, these people are energetic enough to be foot soldiers in this battle to put a Republican in the Ag department.

Third, Conservative Fire, I believe you exaggerated some facts and you got some of your assertions just plain wrong. Brian Kemp is not the ranking member of Ag committee. Sen. Bulloch is the Chairman, Hudgens is Vice Chairman and certainly both men were in the legislature long before Kemp came to Atlanta. Mysteriously, you seem to imply that four years of sporadic involvement on refineries and ag research issues makes him more qualified to lead the agriculture department than Gary Black. This tells me two things: 1) You don’t know what all the agriculture department does and 2) You don’t know how much agriculture issues experience you are up against when you are dealing with Gary Black. Gary has helped build a very successful chamber-like organization for the agriculture community. With its significant budget (much of which deals with their worker’s compensation element) and its experienced staff, the Georgia Agribusiness Council has dealt with many agriculture issues that Brian Kemp doesn’t even know exists.

Fourth, I think Beth is right. I am afraid that too many of our Republican State Senators, turned statewide candidates have arrogantly pursued higher office with little deference to more qualified Republican candidates. Empowered by Sonny’s jump, these candidates have been blinded by ambition and forgotten a basic tenet of Republican philosophy–efficient governance.

The difference is we now have a viable candidiate that the agriculture community supports–Gary Black. Deana Strickland and Bob Greer did quite well on shoe string budgets and with little name recognition within the agricultural community. (I think Deana got 40+% in 2002, most of which was because she had an R behind her name). Even Brian Kemp would do better in the general than Bob or Deana did in ’98 and ’02 respectively, but unlike Gary, Kemp can’t take the farm vote away from Tommy. And that is the reason Kemp can’t win the primary.

Groseclose, I don’t think you have to know a lot about agriculture to be able to have an opinion. Like President Reagan said many times, if you eat, agriculture is of primary importance to you. So, Bull Moose has a point in asking why Black would not have shown up.

If it’s true that Gary Black is taking this vote for granted, that is unfortunate, as every candidate should run and opperate like they are 10 points back and work that much harder. For me, that’s one of the reasons I like Brian Kemp. He’s working hard.

However, Groseclose, the Ag Department oversees more than just farms. And we need someone who is more than just another lobbyist and I think we can all agree we need a change period in the office.

Hortence, I may have lashed out rather harshly at Bull Moose. I didn’t mean to suggest the question was not worthwhile. However, my frustration stems from his superior position (because he can post on the front page) to paint Gary in a poor light on this forum and bring positive attention to his candidate. My mere point was that someone should have asked the same question about Brian last weekend and gave Gary similar credit for being at the Young Farmers Convention.

I also agree that everyone has an interest in the agriculture department and everyone should have an opinion about its successfulness. I do place a large emphasis on the farm vote because most consumers are “rationally ignorant

The idea that farmers have a disproportionate effect on the Ag Commissioner is ridiculous. The majority of votes for this and every other office in the state come from Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett, Clayton, Chatham, Bibb, Richmond etc.

Whoever the sacrificial lamb is, Kemp or Black, is not going to outraise Irvin. And they’ll be competing with huge media buys from Perdue and Taylor/Cox. So how do you go about beating a guy who is a 40 year incumbent, will have the approximately 42% Kerry/solid Dem vote completely locked up and probably knows enough people personally to get the other 8%?

I mean, clearly voters don’t look to see how qualified someone is when they are running for one of these downballot offices — Kathy Cox anyone? The problem for Republicans on this race is that Irvin is qualified for the office he holds, so these candidates don’t even have an opening there.

I think in Black’s case he’s running to be the Ag Commissioner when Irvin hangs it up. He probably would have done that as a Democrat if it was 1986 (or even ’96) and not 2006. But the winds have changed. And I thought Kemp was just using Ag Commissioner as a placeholder until Norwood announces he isn’t running again, but that hasn’t turned out to be the case so far. All of this heated passion about such a lame race just don’t equate.

In your own mathematical analysis, I think you have proven my point. Let’s assume that Democrats have 40-42%, like you say. And for the point of illustration, Republicans have a solid 40-42%. (I think this might be a little higher with an Incumbent Governor leading the ticket. Strickland got 39.1% on a shoe string budget before the Republicans took over the state.) That leaves 16%-20% that decides the outcome of these statewide elections. I submit that a great deal of this swing vote comes to you from rural Georgia where agriculturalists are still community leaders. Though I have little empirical evidence to prove my contention, I point to some recent statewide races. Governor Perdue, Lt. Governor Taylor, Secretary of State Cox, Senator Chambliss, and Senator Miller are all from rural regions of our state. To win in Georgia now, I think you have to win South I-20. Because of Gary’s rapport in this region, I am confident he will be more successful against Irvin than Kemp would.
Chris, you are right it won’t be easy beating Irvin. But, that is the reason we Republican must think strategically when nominating our candidate. Gwinnett Republicans who are attracted to Kemp’s sleek look and impressed by his horse farm and land developing business will vote for whoever receives the Republican nomination for agriculture commissioner. Those rural leaders, who are equally as likely to vote for Cathy Cox as they are for Sonny Perdue, would rather have a stale agricultural department than to turn the steering wheel over to someone they don’t know and don’t trust. Therefore, don’t count on them to advocate for a Brian Kemp election. But many of those rural leaders are behind Gary Black and they are going to work hard for him in their local communities. We Republicans who live in the metro area cannot be blinded by what might look good on paper (i.e. State Senator). If we do, we are assured of four more years of Irvin. We must put forward a candidate that has statewide, grassroots support. The only candidate on the Republican side that has such statewide appeal is Gary Black.

so grose, you are asking us, the GOP primary voter, to vote for a man who is a lobbyist who voted in the 2004 Democrat Presidential Preference primary for Howard Dean? Are asking us to support a man who will bring the same blinded and complacent view of Ag and the Department as Tommy Irvin?? Why can we not fight for a change?

Who would people vote for in the general if Black wins? Tommy Irvin, the Ag Comm. or Gary Black, the special interest lobbyist. If you Grose, in your vast knowledge, have not heard, the word lobbyist does not really excite people now. Think Jack Abramoff.

And you know grose, Bull moose, just provided us with information we needed to know. The people like to know if a candidate (Black) is arrogant enough to blow off a group that he claims supports him. Arrogance will not win the day.

Chris,if you dont think Irvin is vulnerable you havent seen him speak lately,its time for him to retire.Ive known him a long time and its sad when politicians out stay their effectiveness and welcome.I truly feel he will not come out of this cycle as our Ag Commissioner.

I think our next Ag Commissioner will be Brian Kemp.Kemp is a very smart and tireless campaigner and at the end of the day will come out ahead in the Republican Primary for a couple of reasons:
1.Kemp will carry the large voting blocks of the highly populated Republican districts.
2.Gary will be hurt by a strong Demacratic Governor Primary.This primary will keep many of the Southwest Georgia farmers from even voting in the Republican Primary.
3.There is a huge advantage when you are running state wide and you are a very popular sitting State Senator and have alot of Legislatures working for you behind the scenes back home.

If my Political Calculas proves to be incorrect in the Primary , I still believe Irvin is beatable in the General.

I don’t have a horse in this race and have no opinion of either, however, beating up on Georgia lobbyist is a waste of time. Nearly 90% of all legislation in Georgia is authored by lobbyists. They submit it to a Rep or Senator and if they get the buy in on the bill they’ll sponsor it.

All of the lobbyist I know are honorable hard working people who are trying to make a positive difference for their industry and the state of Georgia.

If this election is about who is better qualified to be ag commissioner, Tommie Irvin wins hands down. You Black apologists need to wake up. Running against Tommie Irvin on “experience” is suicide.

The real question is who has a better vision for the future of this department and who provides the best contrast with Irvin. That’s clearly Kemp. All the rhetoric aside from both sides, it’s clearly Kemp.

We wont win if we keep making excuses for all these Democrats coming into our Party now that we have control. The best leaders to take us into a full majority are those who had the guts to be there when it counted.

Grose, you sound like you might be a Gary Black staffer??? Kemp will win the race because 1) No other candidate will work harder than him 2) He has the ability to get a lot of cross over vote which he has proven by winning his senate district in Athens. There is not that many republicans in Athens. He will be able to do this all across the state in the general. Also, a lot of the people in middle and south Georgia that Gary Black in taking for granted will vote in the Democrat primary.

Statesman, Kemp has been successful in Athens, but Bush won SD 46 so what he mostly did is not lose Republican voters as they travelled down the ticket — now that is impressive considering that in some parts of the state Democrats pick up near 40% of Bush voters in their districts, but…

Brian has major ties to the Athens area, he is married to the daughter of the former Democratic state rep, he’s got a lot going on there. Unless he is a polygamist with a cadre of Democratic ex-legislator father-in-laws peppered across the state, I’m not sure it will be that easy to replicate what he’s done in Athens.

However, Athens is now the center of Congressional District 10, so I really wouldn’t be surprised if that’s where Brian ends up. Running in a statewide race (win or lose) will be great for your name ID in a more local race, especially if you are currently stuck in an Athens centered district that doesn’t really get much TV coverage at all.

Let me make it clear, also, that this is non-caring analysis, as I’m a Democrat who isn’t much concerned with who wins this primary.

Allright all you Kemp Kissers is anyone going to admit that Senator Kemp is a Land buster not a farm saver. The Senator needs to tell us how many farms he has saved vs how many he has raped, pillaged and left for dead in the development business!

I must say I really enjoy the Ag race posts more than the LG posts. the LG race is over. There’s nothing really exciting about it anymore. Ralph is a greedy hypocrite who got caught and a State Senator with strong support from his colleagues is going to thrash him. Enough said.

But this Ag race is really fun. Irvin is blubbering old man who can barely make a complete sentence anymore and we have this hot primary contest to replace him. That’s fun.

What’s even more fun is watching Kemp dance circles around these Black staffers on here. Every time Romegaguy opens his mouth on here with some smart comment about Kemp, they turn around and do something that just embarrasses the Black campaign and he doesn’t post for a while.

It’s like watching a Three Stooges episode and they just keep walking into the wall. Hahahhaha.

The proof will be in the pudding Black staffers. It’s going to hurt to suck up that pride and admit your guy doesnt’ have what it takes.

Gary Black has the support of farmers and agribusinesses.
Gary Black has experience and working knowledge of the food and fiber industry.
Gary Black has raised more campaign funds than any of the other candidates for this race.
Gary Black has friends and grassroots support across the entire state.
Gary Black and his family are dedicated advocates for Georgia agriculture.
Gary Black has built a career and a reputation that is second to none on agricultural issues.
Gary Black has strong conservative principals and is a proud Republican.
Gary Black has served as a mentor to many seeking guidance and vision on agriculture issues.
Gary Black has the credentials to earn the votes of Georgians as he seeks the office of Commissioner of Agriculture.
Gary Black has what it takes to win this election.
Gary Black has my vote!

I hope each Peach Pundit reader will consider these attributes and give him your vote as well.

Farmers are not going to carry the election!!! A liberal, under the table dealing, lobbyist will not beat a conservative state senator.

Gary black has experience not in ag and farming or leadership but in lobbying. Gary has experience smoking cigars in a dark hidden room with tom Murphy, roy Barnes and a democrat controlled government.

Gary is the man who is using our party to run for office when he would have run as a dem 10 years ago. Gary is trying to manipulate Georgia voters. He thinks we are stupid but I and others know he is nothing but a dem lobbyist.

While black talks about his cow shows and his lobbying, Brian Kemp is giving solutions to long time problems that people like Gary and Irvin have done nothing to solve.

One thing Gary black is not cotton fluff, and that is a republican.

I know that black is jealous and intimidated by Kemp who is a successful business owner, a state senator, a leader, a man with a vision of change, the type of leader we need in office, a man who is up front and honest with tyr voters.

Don’t worry gary, Murphy and Barnes will be glad to welcome you with open arms in the political graveyard.

How’s this? Gary claimed he would have 1 million dollars but he didn’t, he had 400 and Kemp had about the same. They are tied on fundraising and Kemp has outdone black on everything else. (endorsements, ag plan, support, and so on)

Let the record show that I am not a staffer, I am in the Forestry Business and I am from Southeast Georgia. I am supporting and voting for GARY BLACK and so are a lot of other people down this way. I have been reading this blog for several months and I had to finally break the ice and post what was on my mind.

First of all, where did you read that Gary Black was going to have $1 Million by the end of last year? Second, how can you say they were tied when Black outraised Kemp by $50K and Kemp outspent Black 2-1!!!!!! Also, Kemp’s money came from his Senate District and Lobbyist, thats right, lobbyist. Correct me if I am wrong, but were there any lobbyist on Gary Black’s Disclosure. You would think there would be since he is a big time lobbyist and everything.

I am also sure that Gary Black has not even hired a fundraiser and he still outraised Kemp who HAD a fundraiser, that has too sting a little.

Furthermore, on this issue of Gary Black being a lobbyist, I think it was Brian Kemp’s name I read in the newspaper for taking Sugar Bowl tickets from lobbyist and not Gary Black. And no one ever answered my question of how much money Kemp has taken from lobbyist since being in the Senate. I guess the truth hurts ConservativeFire, something tells me by your posts on here that youare probably one of those kids who used to tell people that you wanted to be President one day. Good Luck with that.

Pinetop, Gary Black and his staffers like you went around telling people that they would raise a million dollars. You Black staffers just can’t accept the fact that fundraising was about dead even. I guess the truth probably hurts you too.

the choice is simple:

conservative leader who can defeat Irvin vs. Democrat lobbyist who Irvin would crush.

The reason that haven’t provided credentials why Brain Kemp is the right man to be agriculture commissioner is they can’t in good faith make such an assertion. (Not that good faith is requirement for posters on this forum). They make two basic claims to why he deserves to be agriculture commissioner and Black backers have successfully rebutting both. They just can’t do any better: Let’s recap:
1) He is a State Senator! Some in the Kemp camp think this should be an automatic free ticket to higher office no matter how under qualified that individual is for the chosen office. Four years in the State Senate hardly makes you automatically qualified for any higher public office, nor less the most qualified.
2) Gary Black is bad! They futilely attempt to criminalize Gary’s 25 years of leadership, service, and advocacy to the agriculture industry. This is simply a bizarre argument. In an effort to elect their guy to lead the agriculture department, they criticize their opponent for actually spending his life working for the industry he seeks to lead. Their fallacious attacks are mere diversions from their candidate’s lack of a record on agriculture issues.

Meanwhile they ignore Gary’s clear advantages:

1) Gary is the only candidate that can’t beat Tommy Irvin. They can’t justifiably show how kemp can win a majority of those 15-18% of swing voters who will decide the election.
2) Gary is the only Republican candidate that can run the agriculture department. He has the knowledge and statewide relationships to revamp the agriculture department, Brian currently has neither of those attributes.
3) There are more, but I will heed the advice about long posts.

The only proof needed to show why Kemp is the far superior candidate to lead the ag department and also the only candidate who can win the race is when Kemp, Gary and Irvin are on the stage together.

You Black admirers can argue all day long that a small group of farmers supporting black wins the race, but there is simply no comparison between the candidates. After hearing those candidates, nobody wants to vote for Irvin or Black. Irvin is too old and not really with it anymore. Black is boring and quite frankly just a goober. Who cares about the price of peanuts?! give us a vision. Kemp does. Very articulately I might add.

You don’t have to be a political genius to hear both candidtes and check out both candidates’ websites and other materials to clearly see Kemp has what it takes to win. Gary simply doesn’t. It doesn’t require a dissertation. it’s just plain self evident.

And over 200 local officials backing a candidate overwhelms anything a few congressmen from an overwhelmingly unimpressive congressional delegation can do.

First, a friend forwarded me Kemp’s newsletter and it was titled How Brian Kemp was lighting flames and blazing accoss Georgia-sounds like he may be kin to William T. Sherman. Conservativefire you, Kemp and Sherman seem to have a thing about fire!! Secondly, Fire why all this anger?
YOu have yet to provide a source for the million dollar fundraising statement.
To my other question (Land buster, developer, Sugar Bowl, lobbyist contributions, etc, etc) do you have an answer yet to this question?
Fire, you keep critizizing Gary about his participation at livestock shows. These are the byproducts of Ag education, FFA & 4H. Since you are a Kemp supporter, and strongly denounce these programs, this must mean that Mr. Kemp is opposed to these great programs.

Kemp does offer a plan that is a lot more detailed than Gary’s. I don’t know about the ins and outs of property taxes for farmers, but overall Kemp offers a much more detailed and I’ll go further and say visionary plan.

Sure, Gary offers a reasonable plan, but Kemp’s is far more impressive.

Get your head out of the sand, Boll and spare us all the crap. Repeating the same old routine each time doesn’t improve it or your candidate.

Many people will be surprised when republicans and crossover voters hit the polls in July.

Kemp is a pretty boy known for nothing and a nice little fellow — a developer

Black is IRVIN”S democratic nurse maid

Deanna and Bob Greer will surprise people.

Bob has not missed a thing while Black has rarely shown up even when the governor was there —so he could hang on his coat tail.

A woman —she has the intelligence and ability but GA won’t elect her unfortunately.

Bob Greer has no trash to hide like the others. He is just a good hard working man who wants to get an —-out of step man out of an office that has not turned over in 40 years.

Kemp wants a state office any office.. Black wants to keep lining his pockets as he learned from Tommy Irvin.

Greer actually wants to help the people of GA. What a novel idea.

No— in response to your tacky remarks I am not now –nor have I ever been on “meth” . Obviously, those kinds of comments show your age and inabiliity to understand what true voters are looking for in a candidate.

I am a scientist, I analyze, I have a college degree, and I make informed decisions on all races and all candidates and I vote for the person not the party.

I do not say I am for one party and go vote for another—I tell you I will vote for the person best qualified for the office. I do not work for any of these people . I was born and raised on a family farm. I have listened to them all in many situations——–you should all do the same and stop pumping and dumping your guys.

Bob Greer is the man for critical, logical thinkers. Perhaps that is too difficult for many to grasp.

He can beat Irvin in a Republican race. He has no baggage. That is the name of everyone’s game. Gary Black simply replaces one slime with another. Kemp needs to run for something he cares about.